Tom Waits For No One
Disclaimer: yeah well, I still don't own them.
Again a headcanon turned ficlet with the invitation fo turn it into a proper fic.
Crowley hides his love for Tom Waits, especially from Aziraphale. He couldn't bear the criticism of the voice or the utter lack of understanding the nuances of the melodies, lyrics and references. He has gone through that with some artists and he decided, that he had no intention to justify his adoration for this man. He listens to 'God's away on business' a lot when he's angry. Other times he allows himself to be soothed by the ballads like 'Martha', imagining himself on that phone, calling on a lover of old, begging to be loved again.
That's another reason to hide Tom: on the off chance that Aziraphale DOES get it -get him- it would reveal a softness, Crowley is not prepared to show. Sure, he could say he only likes the rough, dark and weird songs but who is he going to fool with that? No, best not to share this intimate detail of his mind.
In his heart of hearts, Tom gives him hope. He was always brilliant but he fell off the wagon, clearly cutting his life very short by his lifestyle. Well, until he met his wife, that is. He sobered up, they wrote beautiful songs together, build a life - a family- together. If Tom can be redeemed and still be a brilliant storyteller, maybe, just maybe, there's a tiny chance for Crowley as well...
One night, after a philosophical wine filled evening with the angel, Crowley makes a u-turn halfway to his apartment. He forgot his phone and returns to the bookshop. Since they drank to send Crowley off for a month's worth of demonic activity in Asia, it could not wait until tomorrow. He is supposed to leave tomorrow, so he needs the darned phone back.
When he walks up to the shop he feels ...odd. Faint music seems to come from the general direction of the bookshop. As he sneaks closer, his eyes grow wide: Aziraphale listens to "I hope that I don't fall in love with you" and it filters softly through the walls and into the street. Aziraphale listens to Tom Waits! And THAT song ...oh ... better not dwell on it. It's the second song on the record of course he listens to it, Crowley was not that long gone. Next would be Virginia Av - oh! The song restarted.
Crowley had to sit down for a minute. He still needed that bloody phone but he sure as hell wouldn't walk in again while THAT song played! He imagined how mortified he would be if Aziraphale walked in on him, while having this on repeat. No, he'd have to miracle his phone out of the shop and leave, he wondered why he hadn't done so in the first place. There was no need to return to the shop, at least none that would be related to obscure communication devices. The song ended, Tom admitted again that he might just have fallen in love against better judgment. This time though the song did not restart and what followed, was certainly not track three but rather track six of the record: 'Martha'. Oh what the hell?! Rising to wobbly knees and with a shaky breath, he decides walk in there and face the music.